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What We Do

Land and Resource Rights

WRI’s Land and Resource Rights project aims to ensure that rural people and the urban poor have secure rights over their land and natural resources.

Rural people in developing countries are losing their land and natural resources because of insecure property rights, with negative effects on livelihoods, well-being, local environments, and ecosystem services. Land acquisitions by governments and companies that fail to meet minimum national or international standards contribute to this insecurity. Furthermore, rural people are increasingly migrating to ever expanding cities, contributing to informal settlements vulnerable to climate change and other environmental hazards.

WRI’s Land and Resource Rights (LRR) project aims to ensure secure property rights for rural people and the urban poor. Operating across Latin America, Africa, and Asia, our work focuses on connections between land and equitable access to forests, food, and water. We work with governments, civil society organizations, development agencies, and other actors to strengthen land, resource, and property rights as a path to poverty reduction, sustainable development, and environmental management.